Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft

Julius Strauss

Herbert Stuhler

Anton Fruth

Heinz Muller

Engelbert Krempl

Herbert Hubner

Process for the preparation of saturated primary fatty amines by hydrogenation of the corresponding unsaturated primary fatty amines In the novel process, the hydrogenation of the double bonds in an unsaturated primary fatty amine is achieved by reaction of the unsaturated primary fatty amine with hydrogen at a temperature of 80.degree. to 160.degree. C. and a pressure of 1 to 40 bar in the liquid phase and in the presence of 0.1 to 10% by weight of a nickel catalyst or cobalt catalyst. If the fatty amine to be hydrogenated contains ammonia, the latter is substantially removed before the hydrogenation process.

Process for the preparation of saturated primary fatty amines by

According to the new process, the hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acid nitriles or mixtures of unsaturated and saturated fatty acid nitriles is carried out in the liquid phase in the presence of nickel catalysts or cobalt catalysts. In a first reaction step the fatty acid nitrile, in the presence of ammonia, is treated with hydrogenation hydrogen until all the nitrile groups are hydrogenated to predominantly primary amino groups. After the ammonia content in the reaction mixture obtained from the first step has been adjusted to a value of at most 0.1 mol of ammonia per mole of fatty acid nitrile used, a second reaction step is used to hydrogenate the double bonds present to saturated bonds. The desired primary and saturated fatty amine is obtained in a very high yield and has an iodine number of at most 5.

A process for the preparation of tertiary aliphatic amines containing an alkyl or alkenyl radical having 8 to 24 carbon atoms and at least one methyl group by reacting a liquid alcohol or aldehyde having 8 to 24 carbon atoms in the presence of a copper-chromium oxide catalyst with a gaseous mixture containing hydrogen and a lower primary or secondary alkyl amine having at least one methyl group, the amine proportion of the gas mixture being in the range of from 1 to 20% by volume, eliminating the water having been formed in the reaction from the gaseous mixture, and recirculating the gaseous mixture continuously back into the liquid alcohol or aldehyde.

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Altotting, Germany

Julius Strauss